Accident of Fate
by BJArthur
Summary: One ripple changes everything, but Fate has a plan. Ginny goes back in time to save Sirius and ends up with more than she ever expected. A re-telling of a previously posted story of the same title. Ensemble cast.
1. Chapter 1

The first incarnation of this story was started the summer of 2004. I was just about to turn 15 and had no idea what I was doing. It showed. The second two stories were begun concurrently in 2007, though the second in the series was ended first in 2008. The last was completed in 2009. They were all posted with minimal editing, and it certainly showed. Now, ten years (2014) after I began this journey, I'm finally going through and combining them, fixing grievous grammatical mistakes, and making the entire saga far more canonical than it began. I'm trying to fit in everything that I can, but obviously not everything will work. Ainsel, for example, and just about all of the romance between Lucius and Lily has been removed. I've also taken out most of Amy. This means that most of the second two stories have been Frankensteined into the first. I hope this works.

* * *

_-2000-_

Two young women stood in the kitchen of The Burrow on either side of the large wooden table. Medicinal potions, bandages and various other supplies were lined up carefully before them. The younger one was meticulously packing a small, bottomless bag.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked Ginny as she watched the younger girl. "I mean, Harry or Ron could do it instead. Going back in time can be really tricky, Ginny. And you weren't there when Sirius fell – would you be able to find a place to keep him safe in the mêlée?"

Ginny didn't stop or look up from her task – she didn't want to miss anything she might need. "Hermione, Dumbledore wanted me to do it. If he had wanted someone else, he would've asked someone else."

Hermione didn't look particularly convinced, but knew better than to argue with a Weasley. "If you're sure," she sighed.

"I am. Dumbledore's not the only one who knows that Sirius died for no reason." Ginny finally paused and looked up. "How's Harry doing with all this? He won't talk to me."

Hermione looked concerned as she shrugged. "He's okay, but I think he wishes that you didn't have to go, or that he could go for you. He's worried about you, you know."

"I don't know why," Ginny sighed and resumed packing her bag, deciding that it was easier to look at the bag than at her friend. "I'll be gone and back in the blink of an eye. Why bother worrying so much when he won't even notice?"

"Because he loves you, Ginny," Hermione implored, "and he loves Sirius. He cares, so he worries."

Ginny sighed. She knew that Harry cared—it showed every time he looked at her—but she got the feeling that this time it was more about Sirius' safety than her own. Harry had always been very proprietary about the people he loved, and Sirius was the first person Harry realized he couldn't save. She knew that Harry was chomping at the bit to fix what he saw as a failing on his part. But Ginny had given up psychoanalyzing Harry Potter a long time ago.

"Hermione, I have to get to the ministry. I'll see you soon, okay? Tell the others good bye for me, all right? I'll be back before you know it."

* * *

Newly minted Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt waited for Ginny at the elevator. "Ah! Ginny Weasley, you're right on time."

"Hello, Kingsley," Ginny said, stepping out of the lift and smiling. Technically, Kingsley could have asked one of the other Order members to see Ginny off. He was very busy trying to rebuild the British Magical World, after all. But he liked Ginny, appreciated what she and her family had done for the greater good over the years, and it was no hardship to help save an innocent man like Sirius Black. Ginny was also pleased because Kingsley was one of her favourites and it was comforting to know that a familiar face would be there to send her off. And welcome her back; for Kingsley, she would hardly have left before she reappeared.

"Are you ready?" the tall, bald, pirate-like black man placed a large hand on her back, steering her into the room she still sometimes had nightmares about.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

The two chatted amiably as they walked through doors and down hallways. Ginny noticed familiar land marks along the way: the tank of brains; the planetary system; some of the doors still had Hermione's glowing red 'X's on them. Finally, they came to the veil.

The sheer black material flapped softly in the non-existent breeze and the voices from beyond called to Ginny. She ignored them, knowing that they weren't what they said they were. The veil was the stuff that night terrors were made of; bleak and hopeless, it made her think of the Chamber, and the fear she felt the night they lost Sirius.

Steeling her resolve, she turned to Kingsley. "This is it, I suppose."

"But not forever. You'll be back before you know it! Now, is the time turner set to the right date? The exact time that Sirius went behind the veil?"

"Yes." Ginny produced the necklace from inside her robes and handed it to her guide, who checked to make sure all was in order. The Headmaster had given her a special kind of Time Turner, meant to go years and years into the past, rather than just a few hours. It was a new invention, a product of the Department of Mysteries, and Ginny was both excited and nervous to be trying it out. She had heard of Harry and Hermione's adventure in their third year and was a little anxious to see how a Time Turner worked.

Kingsley checked all the dials and numbers then nodded. "Perfect. Now, all you have to do is spin it counter-clock wise four times – one spin for each year – and that should place you at the precise time Belletrix Lestrange cast the spell that sent Sirius into the veil. You are to save him, keep him from harm, and bring him back with you. Do you understand?"

Ginny nodded and accepted the Time Turner back. "Save Sirius, keep him occupied, bring him back; got it. And then find Dumbledore."

"Correct, Ginny: find Dumbledore afterwards. Keep yourself hidden until you reach his office. I know you packed floo poweder in your bag – remember to go to the fireplace on the far-east side of the entrance hall. That one will be empty and in the chaos of trying to figure out what happened between Dumbledore, Voldemort and Harry, you should be free to escape. Floo directly into Dumbledore's office, but reveal yourself only when everyone has left. The Order will meet for about an hour once they arrive in his office, so you must stay hidden. Are you ready?" Ginny took a deep breath and nodded again. She began to turn the dial.

"Wait!" Harry burst into the room, startling Ginny. Her hand slipped, causing the dial to spin more than it was supposed to. She tightened her hold on it, trying to get it to stop spinning, but it was no use. Ginny looked at Kingsley with wide and scared eyes.

"Kingsley…" she whimpered. He reached out, but she was already gone.

* * *

Are we all sufficiently limbered up? Ready to begin? Let me know what you think if/or if you have any questions. As mentioned, I've been working on this one a while... a _long_ while.


	2. Chapter 2

New chapter 2, boys and girls.

* * *

-1979-

When the world finally stopped spinning, Ginny was still standing in front of the veil, which was still flapping in the non-existent breeze. But it was obviously not the right time. There were no shooting curses, no Death Eaters, no Order. All was quiet. Ginny looked down at the device in her hands. The rim around the Time Turner had been bent, perhaps when she clutched it. She had been told to be careful. Cautiously, Ginny walked out of the room, following the landmarks she remembered from earlier. She still saw the planetary system, the Hall of Prophesy, the tank of brains… but Hermione's glowing red 'X's were missing.

'_When am I?'_ she wondered, making her way to the lift. It looked suspiciously newer than it had before. A man came bustling out of the lift, a small spindly glass ball in his hands.

"Excuse me," Ginny said as he came closer. "Would you mind telling me the date? The year and all?"

"Oh, uh…." Mud brown eyes regarded her wearily, "its Thursday, June 14th, 1979. Um, do you have clearance to be here, Miss?" Cold dread filled Ginny.

"1979!" Ginny's hands flew to her head, fingers gripping at her bright red curls. "No, no, no… I need to see Professor Albus Dumbledore. Do you know where I can find him?"

"He's at Hogwarts; school's not out just yet. Are you alright, Miss?"

Ginny looked around, feeling a bit hopeless. Where was she to go? She couldn't go to Hogwarts yet – school was still in session and she had no idea how Dumbledore would react to her just showing up in his office. Not in this time, anyway. If she'd landed when she was supposed to, she would have been dealing with someone who had twenty extra years of experience. The first war with Voldemort was just starting to reach the high point – the headmaster might think she was a spy and Ginny didn't want to think about what might happen then.

1979… Harry was born in 1980, which meant that his parents must have gotten married not too long ago. If she'd heard anything about James and Lily Potter, it was that they were trustworthy people. Hopefully they'd be able to help her. Without calling the Order.

"No," Ginny finally answered the man still timidly waiting, "but I will be, which is the main thing. Thank you, sir." Ginny headed for the lift, the turned back. "Is that about a little boy and the Dark Lord?" She gestured to the prophecy ball in the young man's hands. He looked at her, his brow furrowed.

"How did you-"

"Don't worry, sir," Ginny smiled kindly, not being able to help herself. "It'll all be fine."

Stepping onto the lift, Ginny instructed it to take her to the ground floor and waited. What was she going to do? How was she going to tell Dumbledore? Hell, how was she going to explain this to Harry's parents?

* * *

-2000-

"Harry, you bloody idiot!" Kingsley Shacklebolt thundered after Ginny had disappeared. "You know better! How could you come here when you know how important it is that everything goes _exactly_ the way it was planned? Now we don't know where she is, or when for that matter!"

"I was…I-" Harry floundered, not knowing what to say. This hadn't been how he'd planned things, either.

"We were trying to save your godfather, Harry! You knew that! Why did you try and stop us?"

"Because… I didn't want Ginny to-"

"To go? To mess up? Harry," Kingsley sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "Harry, Dumbledore wanted Ginny to go. He picked her for this job specifically. If he had wanted anyone else to go he would've said so."

"But I saw it happen!" Harry yelled, finally finding his voice. "She wasn't even in the room when he went!"

He had felt more rage over this operation than he had over the entire Final Battle. It wasn't that he thought that Ginny was incapable of the mission. Ginny was one of the most powerful witches Harry had ever met – he'd seen her in the Hall of Prophesy, causing mayhem to let them get away. But this was personal to Harry, and everyone seemed to have forgotten him. And this was his godfather, the first real link to his parents Harry ever had. That frustrated him more than he would've liked, which only made him more upset.

And now he was in for it because in trying to change how saving Sirius was handled, Harry had possibly killed them both. Or at least Ginny.

"Harry," Kingsley's wearily exhale caught Harry's attention again, "how would you feel if you saw yourself save Sirius? What do you think the Death Eaters would've thought? If you were sent… the risks were just too high. You and Ron and Hermione were far too well known among the Death Eaters. And you still are – you know we haven't caught them all yet. What do you think they'd do with that information, if they saw you, Ron or Hermione back in time? So we sent Ginny, because she isn't as known to them and knew Sirius better then Miss Lovegood or Mr Longbottom. She knew where to hide him to keep him safe, and she had contingency plans if anything else happened. But now, Harry… we don't know when in time she went!"

* * *

-1979-

Ginny apparated to Godric's Hallow and counted the houses until she found Potter Place. She knocked on the door and prayed that the Potters were not only home, but could help her. At least they would know where Sirius was. A woman not too much older than Ginny opened the door. Her wine red hair was swept up into a loose bun and her sparkling emerald eyes looked at Ginny inquiringly.

"May I help you?"

"Are you Lily Evans-Potter?" Ginny shifted from foot to foot, nervous that she would be turned away.

"Yes, and it's just Potter. What can I do for you?" Lily studied the girl in front of her. She had never seen her before, but the girl looked a bit like a Weasley. Maybe she was a relative of Arthur's? But the Weasley's hadn't had a girl in ages... And how would this girl know where she and James lived?

"I'm hoping you could help me. My name's Ginny and… well, there's been a bit of an accident. I'm looking for Sirius Black."

"Oh." Lily blinked. "Well, he's here now for afternoon tea. I hope everything's all right. Why don't you come in and sit down. I'll get him for you. Sirius!" Lily called, stepping away from the door. "Have a seat, please. Sirius!" Lily walked away, yelling for the blue-eyed Marauder.

Ginny sat on the couch, placing her bag on the floor next to her, and hunched over, her head in her hands. Now that she was here, she didn't know what she was going to do. Not exactly anyway. Of all the things to go wrong, why did it have to be this one?

"What am I going to say?" she asked herself quietly, sitting up. "'Hello, Sirius. I'm here to keep you alive for the next twenty some years.' Like that'll go over well." Ginny slumped over again, her face in her hands once more and her ginger hair shielding her from view.

"I don't know her name," came Lily's voice from the down the hall, "but she looks a little lost."

"Any idea why she's asking for me?" _'That was Sirius…'_

"She mentioned an accident, but that was all."

"Hey, Padfoot, wouldn't it suck if she was related to you?" _'Was that James?'_ "If Lily says she's cute, then maybe you two could…"

"James, you stop that!" Lily scolded. "We don't even know why the poor thing's here yet. Let Sirius talk to her first, at least."

"Then you could-"

"Prongs," came Remus' voice, full of warning._ 'I didn't know that Professor Lupin was here too…'_ "You're getting carried away. Stop."

The four of them entered the front room and looked at Ginny, still hunched over. James looked at Sirius and pushed him forward. The blue eyed, black haired man glared at his friend before addressing the ginger haired girl slumped over on the couch.

"Um… hello. You uh… wanted me?" He bounced on the balls of his feet, unsure of what else he should do or say. The girl sighed and straightened, pushing her curly, thick hair out of her face to reveal slightly freckled skin, a rounded pixie-like nose and the most beautiful brandy coloured eyes he had ever seen.

"Hello, Sirius Black," Ginny said, sounding weary, "I'm here to keep you alive for the next twenty some years."

Ginny soon found herself in another kitchen, this time seated around a small table while three of the Marauders crowded around. She'd spent the last fifteen minutes explaining her situation and why she couldn't go too into detail.

"So, just to clarify," Remus began, "you're from the future and were sent, by accident, twenty years into the past—which would be now, correct?"

"Yes," Ginny sighed, her eyes on the kitchen table in front of her.

"And the time turner you were using broke, you think, and you don't know how to set it back so you decided to look for Sirius until you can reach Dumbledore so that he can fix it, right?"

"That covers it." Ginny kept her eyes on the table, resisting the urge to look up at the four friends as they put their heads together and spoke amongst themselves. _'They can't believe me,'_ she thought. _'I wouldn't believe me, either. And they've no reason to trust me. But maybe I can get them to have Dumbledore floo over. They haven't called the Order yet – maybe they'll be able to convince him not to, either.'_

"Why don't you just go to Hogwarts now?" Lily asked, almost as if she was reading Ginny's mind. Ginny bit her lip and decided that lying was the best option at this point. It wasn't as if they'd know the difference.

"Because people I know, or who will know me in the future, are there right now. If I go, I'll be noticed, and since I know how fast news travels at Hogwarts, those people will find out and bad things might happen."

Lily frowned – that Auror friend of James had a saying: constant vigilance. Remembering that, she noticed an inconsistency in this Ginny's story. "Do any of us know you in the future?"

Ginny bit her lip. She could still lie, but what if they asked questions about their futures? Best go with the middle ground. "Not all of you."

"So what's the difference, then?" James asked. "If you know people at Hogwarts but you know us, too, why come here? Couldn't the repercussions be even worse?"

'_And of course Harry's father has to be the one to ask the hard question.'_

"Well, from what I remember hearing about, you lot are… 'honourable' was the word I always liked best. And you know better than to tell the wrong people. The people at Hogwarts I know are just kids – they'd tell their parents about me and it could waterfall from there. I was counting on your… discretion, I guess, when I decided to come here."

Remus, James and Lily all looked at Sirius then back at Ginny. "Age does not mean wisdom, I'm afraid," Remus told her.

"Hey!" Sirius protested. "I'm not that stupid."

"What about the motorcycle you got Arthur Weasley to make fly," Remus added. "You can't tell me that wasn't stupid. That thing will drop out of the sky with you on it and James and I will be the ones to bring you to St. Mungo's in doggy-bags." A thrill went down Ginny's spine.

"You know Arthur Weasley?" she asked. She already knew the answer, but having real confirmation that her dad could be cool was sort of awesome.

"Oh yeah! He's helped us loads of times in the—ow!" Sirius rubbed his shin where Remus had kicked him. "Moony, what was that for?" Ginny smiled shyly as the werewolf glared at his friend.

"If you're talking about the Order of the Phoenix, you don't have to worry. I already know about it. Hell, I'm in it, else I wouldn't be here. Speaking of my being here, though, I still don't know what I'm going to do. I mean, I can't go the Dumbledore like I said, but maybe he can come to me? Could you floo him or… I don't know… send him an owl? I could meet him somewhere so we can talk."

"James and Lily aren't hooked up to the floo," Remus told her, "and it might take a few days for Dumbledore to be free to meet with you, what with graduation and planning for next year and the Order and such. Do you have someplace to stay in the mean time?"

Ginny looked troubled as she shook her head. "No, I… Merlin, of all the things that could go wrong…. I can't stick around here. I know that. But I don't have money – that was the one thing I didn't think to pack. For what I'd be doing, I wasn't going to need any."

"Well," James looked at his friends then back at Ginny, "Why don't you crash with Sirius for a while? It makes sense if you're trying to keep him out of trouble, I think."

"That's not a bad idea, James," Lily praised grazing her lips across his cheek. "I love it when you're intelligent." James' ears turned pink and he ruffled his hair.

"Uh… really guys," Ginny said, really hating the fact that she felt so unsure. "I don't want to impose on anyone. I mean I'm sure I could get in touch with Dumbledore somehow. I should have gone straight to him," she added softly. This was becoming more trouble than she had anticipated. Aurors might have been easier to deal with, in the long run. The Marauders looked at each other and nodded, silently agreeing on something.

"Well," Sirius stood and grabbed Ginny's bag, "I've had the most enjoyable afternoon, but I believe I must get going, seeing as I have a guest I must attend to. Come on you," he picked Ginny up by her shoulders and stood her on her feet. "You're staying with me."

* * *

And that's about as far as we go. For now. And I feel like I should clarify a bit before any of you guys get too far into this and become upset when you notice a certain aspect missing. **I WILL NOT BE FOCUSING ON ROMANCE IN THIS STORY.** Well, not much. This story - through no planning what so ever on my part - has become a 'What Would Happen If...' story. So it will be looking at how things change and stay the same if Ginny had gone back in time and kept Sirius from falling, and what if certain other things were in play. _NOT_ about Sirius and Ginny falling in love. Sorry if you're disappointed. Feel free to click away and read something else.


	3. Chapter 3

Hmmm... I guess this is chapter 3.

* * *

-2000-

Kingsley, Tonks, Remus, Alastor Moody, Arthur Weasley and Harry gathered in Dumbledore's office. The Minister and Aurors were glaring at Harry alternatively, while Lupin and Arthur sat in front of the Headmaster's desk looking worried. As for Harry, he stood next to Lupin's chair, his eyes trained on a spot on the floor. Albus eyed them all, his blue eyes twinkling before opening and closing various drawers, looking for something rather important.

"Headmaster," Moody growled, "Potter's put this whole plan in jeopardy simply because he didn't want the girl to go. As punishment, I say heavily armed house arrest and confinement in Grimmauld Place until we can retrieve Miss Weasley safely from wherever it is that she's been sent to. "

Dumbledore chuckled but didn't looking up.

"Albus," Arthur added, his voice soft and slightly broken, "this is my daughter, my only one, and my youngest. Is there anything you can do?" Albus smiled at the man and produced a small sealed envelope with the year '_1999'_ on it.

"Don't worry, Arthur," Dumbledore said as he broke the wax seal on the envelope and opened it, scanning the letter before handing it to the red-haired man. "I think you'll see her again."

"Good Merlin…" Arthur exclaimed, reading it. "It's from Ginny! It's dated twenty years back, but it's from her!"

* * *

_June 17th, 1979_

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_Stop worrying. When Harry barged in on Kingsley and me, the dial spun twenty times instead of the original four. I know you both must be really worried but I'm fine. I've found Sirius so I'm staying with him until I can get home. I've been here about a week so far and things are fine. He's being very nice to me so if you see him, say thank you. James and Lily Potter and Remus are helping too, when they can. If Harry's with you, tell him not to beat himself up too much; Ron'll do that for him soon enough if he hasn't already. That's all I can think of for now, but Dumbledore says I can write more letters and leave them with him. Good-bye for now, and don't forget that I love you all very much._

_-Ginevra M. Weasley._

* * *

-1979-

"There," Ginny said, sealing her letter. She handed it to Dumbledore, who put it in one of his desk drawers. She still could hardly believe he hadn't called the authorities on her, but that's what she got for assuming things about the poor man. "So… now what do we do now?"

"Well, might I suggest acquiring some appropriate clothing, Miss Ginny?" the headmaster said, though not unkindly. Ginny shot Sirius a quick look and blushed.

For the past four days, Ginny had been wearing Sirius' old shirts and pants, all of which were too big for her and needed to be transfigured to fit right. But as transfiguration had never been her strong suit, Ginny could only change the length and size of the clothes, not the cut. She ended up looking a little ridiculous filling male-cut clothes with her feminine body. Things gapped in strange places. She was lucky that she hadn't had to really go anywhere.

"She has no money," Sirius said, sounding slightly annoyed and just a bit condescending. "And she refuses to let me buy her anything." Ginny turned bright red and looked at her host.

"It makes absolutely no sense for you to spend money on me if I'm not going to be here long anyway." She turned back the Headmaster, hopeful. "Right?"

"Unfortunately, Miss Ginny," Albus began sadly, "I'm afraid that you won't be leaving here for another few months yet."

"What? Why?" Ginny paled. Maybe he really was calling the Aurors. "Is the Time Turner really that broken? All I did was bend the rim a little."

"We haven't all the… kinks I believe is the word, worked out yet on the Time Turner you used. It's a bit more advanced than what I've seen before, and it might take longer than we hoped for you to get home. You're stay here will be a lengthy one, to be sure, and I would advise you to stay with Mr Black. Now if you're not comfortable spending his money, I can set up an account at Gringotts for you. Would that be suitable for now?"

"Yeah…" Ginny said vaguely, "I guess…" It was a bit much to take in all at once. She couldn't go home. Her first real big mission for the Order on her own and this is what happens. _'And I can't even go home,'_ she thought sadly. "Damn Harry," she muttered to herself. Ginny looked up at Dumbledore. "You're sure I'll be able to write more letters?"

"Why, of course, Miss Ginny! There's no harm in it that I can see. Telling the future about the past has never been a bad thing. It's when you go the other way around that things get a bit more complicated. Now, if that's all, I must get to a rather important meeting about snapping textbooks. Miss Ginny, since it might take a few weeks for the account to go through, take this," he handed her a purple velvet pouch, "and get anything you think you might immediately need."

"Okay," Sirius said as he and Ginny walked down Diagon Alley. "We bought you clothes for the next three weeks, various other… affects that you might need, and the only thing left is a bed." Ginny's eyes widened.

"No, I'm not buying a bed. And neither are you," she added when he opened his mouth.

"Ginny, we need another bed! We don't know how long you're going to be staying so we need somewhere suitable for you to sleep. And while we're on the topic of furniture," he steam rolled, "we're getting you a… closet-thingy for you to keep your clothes in."

"You mean an armoire? Sirius, no. Where are you going to put it? The flat only has one bedroom! And you can't expand without the proper permit, which takes who knows how long to get to get, and we don't know if we have that kind of time. Now, your room does have room for an armoire, but an extra bed is out of the question."

"Then what do you suggest, Miss Know-It-All?" Sirius groused.

"I'll sleep on the couch," Ginny said sounding resolute. "You've been sleeping on it since I got here and it's unfair to you. It's your bed and it isn't right for me to keep pushing you out if it."

They took a seat at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and ordered something cool. For June in London, it was getting awfully hot outside. Across the street, a man watched them. Lucius Malfoy had been following them from a distance since he'd first spotted them, but had never gotten a clear view of the woman. He saw her red hair and thought of a woman he'd loved so long ago and all the dreams he'd had of them, and how the bitterness crept in when he realised those dreams would never come true. Lucius saw her red hair and he wanted her.

"Ginny, you are a guest in my house," Sirius said as they waited for their sundaes. "I refuse to allow you to sleep on the couch." Ginny rolled her brandy eyes.

"Then where, oh Wise and Wonderful Mr Black, do you suggest I sleep?"

"In the bed," Sirius proclaimed as the waiter placed their ice cream in front of them, eyeing them strangely.

"Without having you give up your bed?"

"We'll share it, Gins."

"What?"

"Ginny," Sirius swallowed his chocolate cherry fudge ripple before continuing, "we are two adults, responsible ones at that, and I don't think it would be that much of a problem. That bed is big enough for four more people and you know it. Why worry?" Ginny sputtered; her brain in over-drive.

"It isn't proper! And a bit creepy, I think; I mean you're… you're much older than I am, Sirius. Besides, what if something happens and…" Ginny trailed off, not wanting to say it.

"We'll be on separate sides of the bed, Ginny." Sirius' attitude had become oddly stern. "And I like to think that I have a bit more restraint than that, thanks much." He was a bit miffed that she would think that he would take advantage of her that way. Once again, Ginny fought to find the right words.

"I didn't mean it that way, Sirius-"

"It doesn't matter; the subject is closed. We'll share the bed until you leave. Now," he sighed, his tone brighter, "what say you after this we go and find that closet-thingy, huh?"

"It's called an armoire, Black," came a cold drawl from behind them. "If you're going to refer to something, do it correctly." Sirius rolled his eyes and turned in his seat.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Lucius smirked as he rounded the table to look at them, his eyes glittering yet carefully empty.

"Merely wondering why you're on what seems to be a date with Potter's… wife." Ginny looked up at him and saw shock cross his face so fast that she almost thought that she had imagined it.

She wasn't Lily, Lucius realized, but she was equally as enchanting. Now that he was able to see her, it was easy to tell the differences. Where Lily's face was long and slim, this woman had a heart-shaped face with cheery cheeks, and molten brandy eyes rather than Lily's sparkling emerald. And Lily didn't have freckles, nor did her hair curl so riotously around her face which Lucius realized should have tipped him off earlier.

"I am not, nor do I ever plan on being, a Potter, sir," Ginny breezed, cool anger flashing in her eyes. Malfoy's smirk widened and an ice blonde eyebrow shot up.

"Well then." His voice was like silk as he straightened up. He tried to smile at her but it came out wrong, predatory. "Who are you?"

The girl smirked, almost a mirror image of Lucius' own, and said: "I'm Ginny, and I don't like you so go away. Please." The 'please' was added on almost as if politeness was an afterthought.

Lucius was taken back but didn't let it show. Clearly, more than curly hair and freckles set the beatific Lily Evans and this 'Ginny' person apart. There were many people in the world that didn't like him at all, but they all had very good reasons for that. He had never seen this woman before in his life; why did she dislike him so much?

"Passing judgment before a trial? Now that's not playing fair, is it?" Lucius pulled up a chair to their table and sat, looking like a king among peasants.

"Life's not fair, Malfoy," Sirius said, visibly trying to reign in his anger. This was his time with Ginny and he didn't appreciate anyone – especially his enemy – trying to horn in on it. "And I thought that Ginny told you to leave."

"I did," Ginny said, scooping up a bit of ice cream onto her spoon, "but he isn't going to leave."

"And how did you figure that one out, Miss…?" Lucius raised an ice blonde eyebrow in question.

"It's just Ginny for now, and you sat down. If you were going to leave you'd've been gone by now like you were asked. Rude of you." Ginny chomped on her ice cream for a moment then looked at Lucius as if she were trying to figure out a very confusing puzzle. "Then again, you might be under the Imperio and be completely innocent of your actions."

The barb was thrown and Lucius recognized it for what it was – an insult, plain and simple. Lucius' already cold, grey eyes froze and a feeling of intense anger added to the burning inside of him. It was rather uncomfortable.

"Just what are you trying to suggest, Miss Ginny?"

"She's suggesting that you're an asshole with no morals, Malfoy," Sirius answered for her.

Ginny looked at the two men on either side of her. They were the closest things to exact opposites she had ever known of. Well, besides Harry and Draco, but even they had their similarities. Ginny didn't think that there was anything Lucius and Sirius held in common, other than blood-purity and that they both had attended Hogwarts. They were as different as night and day: Sirius with his blacker-than-black hair and crystalline blue eyes and his deep belief in equality for all; Lucius' whiter-than-white blonde hair and his frozen grey eyes and his own beliefs that some were more equal than others. And they would always hate each other.

"You know," Ginny said after a few moments of tense silence, "I don't want a fight breaking out, and if we stay here there'll surely be one. So Sirius and I are going furniture shopping and Malfoy… go and do whatever it was that you were going to do before you found us. Preferably something that isn't a threat to anyone's life." Ginny got out some coins from her purple, velvet pouch and set them on the table as she and Sirius stood, preparing to leave.

"No," Sirius said, and placed his on sickles on the table, handing Ginny's back to her. "I'm paying." Ginny laughed; it was like music to Lucius' ears.

"That's very funny, Sirius." She took the coins from Sirius' hand and set them back on the table. "I'm already mooching off you, staying at your place and not paying for room or board. I'm paying for my own ice cream."

"No you aren't." Sirius picked up her coins again but this time took her money pouch and put them back in since she obviously wasn't going to. "I'm the one that wanted to come here so I'm paying. Besides, Dumbledore gave you this money for clothes and things you immediately need, not ice cream."

Ginny snatched the satchel back and took the coins back out, slamming them on the table with an angry look in her eyes.

"If I had known you'd be such a butthead, I wouldn't've come back in the first place," she hissed, not wanting Malfoy to over hear.

Lucius rolled his eyes and stood as the two glared and argued with each other. Without really knowing why, he magicked Ginny's money back into her purse and placed his own coins down. He bent down close to Ginny, close enough to smell vanilla in her hair and on her skin, close enough to feel her warmth. Oh, how he wanted that warmth.

"Never let it be said that I didn't help those most obviously in need," he breathed, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear, his breath hot and tickling her skin. He walked away before she was able to respond, leaving both the new, beautiful red head and her Black companion standing shocked in the ice cream parlour.

* * *

I can't tell if that was more or less than the chapters previous. I would hazard a guess that they were about the same. I'm not going to apologise for any weirdness, though - I couldn't possibly. If you read this story before I re-started it, you'll recognize a good chunk of it. If you read the sequel, too, you'll recognize the rest. And if you've never read this before, than it's all brand spanking new and don't you worry your little bitty head about it.


End file.
